In accordance with presently disclosed embodiments, systems and methods for managing bulk material efficiently at a well site are provided. The disclosure is directed to a container support frame that is integrated into a blender unit. The support frame is used to receive one or more portable containers of bulk material, and the blender unit may include a gravity feed outlet for outputting bulk material from the containers directly into a mixer of the blender unit. The blender unit with integrated support frame may eliminate the need for any subsequent mechanical conveyance of the bulk material (e.g., via a separate mechanical conveying system or on-blender sand screws) from the containers to the mixer. As such, the integrated blender unit may be lighter weight, take up less space, and have a lower cost and complexity than existing blenders.

A method and a system for preparing a biomaterial from at least two components, said method comprising the steps of: providing at least two biomaterial components in a mixing compartment (3) of the preparation system (1; 1); measuring at least one feature in the preparation system with at least one sensor (7), said at least one feature comprising at least temperature and/or humidity; mixing said at least two biomaterial components by a mixing device (5) of the preparation system (1; 1) to which mixing device (5) said mixing compartment (3) can be or is connected; controlling said mixing by a control unit (9) of the preparation system (1; 1), said control unit (9) being in communication contact with said mixing device (5) and with said at least one sensor (7), wherein said mixing is controlled such that at least one mixing parameter of said mixing is dependent on a value of said at least one measured feature.

A constrictor valve can be associated with a conduit in fluid communication with a mixer to control a flow of cementitious slurry discharged from the mixer through the conduit. The constrictor valve can include a constrictor housing, a webbing constriction assembly, and a drive mechanism. The webbing constriction assembly includes a pair of rotatable members rotatably mounted to the constrictor housing and a plurality of webbing straps connected to the rotatable members and wrapped around the conduit. The drive mechanism includes a drive shaft and a gear assembly configured to rotate the rotatable members in opposing winding directions in response to the drive shaft rotating in a tighten direction to wrap the webbing straps tighter around the conduit to compress it and to rotate in opposing unwinding directions in response to the drive shaft rotating in a loosen direction to loosen the grip of the webbing straps on the conduit.

A method, apparatus, and system for obtaining a solution from a solid product are disclosed. A solid product is housed in a dispenser. A liquid is introduced into the housing of the dispenser to interact with the solid product to form a solution. To control the concentration of the formed solution, the turbulence of the liquid introduced to the dispenser is controlled and adjusted either manually or on a real time basis to account for varying characteristics of either or both of the solid product and the liquid. The dispenser will adjust the turbulence based on the characteristics to maintain a formed solution within an acceptable range of concentration. The concentrated solution can then be discharged from the dispenser to an end use application.

A batch mixer is equipped with a plunger for pushing material from the batch mixer. The batch mixer includes a mixer tank structured to accommodate material. The mixer further includes a mixer head comprising at least one blade structured to blend the material within the mixer tank. The mixer further includes a plunger mechanism structured to push the blended material directly from the mixer tank.

A batch mixer is equipped with a plunger for pushing material from the batch mixer. The batch mixer includes a mixer tank structured to accommodate material. The mixer further includes a mixer head comprising at least one blade structured to blend the material within the mixer tank. The mixer further includes a plunger mechanism structured to push the blended material directly from the mixer tank.

A batch mixer is equipped with a plunger for pushing material from the batch mixer. The batch mixer includes a mixer tank structured to accommodate material. The mixer further includes a mixer head comprising at least one blade structured to blend the material within the mixer tank. The mixer further includes a plunger mechanism structured to push the blended material directly from the mixer tank.

A device and method manually opens glass ampules within the device, wherein the device comprises at least a holder with side walls closed at least in sections as a holder of glass ampules, wherein the holder comprises at least one deformable closed side wall and, opposite the deformable side wall, a supporting element is provided. The device further comprises at least a strainer/filter which is arranged below the holder so that the content of the opened glass ampule flows therethrough, a first lever which is pivoted around a first axis in such a manner that it can rotate against the holder, wherein a free end of the first lever can be pressed against the deformable side wall of the holder, a second lever which is pivoted around a second axis in such a manner that it can be rotated against the holder. The second axis divides the second lever into a short lever arm and a long lever arm, wherein one end of the short lever arm should be pressed through manual operation of the long lever arm against the first lever in such a manner that the free end of the first lever presses against the deformable side wall and deforms said wall in such a manner that a glass ampule should be broken open by the pressure of the free end of the first lever.

A method includes providing a water sample for analysis at a well site, or at a location proximate the well site, where the water sample is collected from at least one water source and the water sample comprises at least one analyte. The water sample and a reagent are introduced into a microfluidic mixing cell to produce a mixture of the reagent and water sample, and the mixture has a detectable characteristic indicative of concentration of the at least one analyate in the water sample. The detectable characteristic is measured by spectrophotometry to determine concentration of the at least one analyte. Then a subterranean formation treatment fluid is prepared using water from the at least one water source based on the concentration of the at least one analyte. The introducing into the microfluidic mixing cell and the measuring by spectrophotometry are conducted over an elapsed time period of about 5 minutes or less.

A method and system for dynamically determining and adjusting a dispersion stability of particles in a suspension. The system includes a thermal imaging camera configured to determine movement of the particles in the suspension; and a mixing device, wherein the mixing device is configured to stir the suspension to dynamically maintain the suspension at a desired dispersion stability and temperature.